Brooder



H. J. WELCH.

BROODER. APPLICATION FiLED JUNE 18, NHL RENEWED FEB. 14,1922.

1,41 0,632, Patented Mar. 28, 1922.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- WITNESSES 'AITOR/i/EVS H. J. WELCH.

BROODER.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE I8, 1919.

RENEWED FEB} 14, 1922.

H. J. WELCH.

BROODER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, 1919. RENEWED ma. 14,1922. 1A1Q632, Patented Mar. 28,1922.

7 3 SHEETS-SHEET '3. J Z

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS HARRY J'. WELCH, OF GRAFTON, OHIO.

.BBOODER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 2g, 192:2,

Application filed June 18, 1919, Serial Ne. 304,995. Renewed February. 14, 1922. Serial No. 536,545.

To, all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY J. WELCH, a citizen of the United States, and-a resident of Grafton, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brooders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to brooders, and has reference more particularly to portable brooders in which no hovers are used, a proper circulation of air is maintained and the body portions of the chicks receive the necessary amount of heat for their maintenance.

An object of my invention is to provide a brooder in which the air is properly heated prior to its entrance in to the brooder cham-' her through a reticulated floor, which in itself is self cleaning. 1

Another object is to provide a brooder which can be used equally well indoors and outdoors.

Another object is to provide a brooder which is adapted to be used outdoors, and the circulation of air therethroughproperly regulated, and also having provisions against draft and abnormal winds.

Another object is to provide a brooder that is self cleaning and one having means to conserve and save the excrement incident to this character of devices, for use as a by product.

Another object is to provide a brooder, which saves the excrement and conditions the same, and at the same time remove the dan er of foul gases arising therefrom.

ith these and other objects in view, my invention consists mainly in providinfiga brooding chamber with a reticulated oor which is self cleaning and provides free entrance and circulation of warm air therethrough.

My invention consists further in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of various parts and elements, as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view constructed according to my invention,

Figure 2- is a vertical longitudinal section of same, I

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view showing a, gas plpe and burner means.

In carrying out the invention as embodied in the form selected, which is mainly intended for out door use, I provide an open frame composed of the uprights A mounted on the runners B which are turned upwardly at each end and connected b cross beams B, forming practically a sle structure by which the device as a whole can be pulled or pushed from lace to place.

To the upper ends 0t the uprights A, is secured an inverted traylike structure G having alarge central opening C, which is covered'by screen D of wire cloth, of varying degrees of mesh; that is, about one third of the screen has a i inch mesh, the next third, inch mesh and the remaining third is composed of 5 inch mesh.

The walls C of the part C curve outwardly and downwardly as shown, and in one end wall openings C and C" are made to receive a gas pipe E and a compressed air pipe F, the gas pipe running beneath the screen D within heat distributing tubes Dwhich are mounted beneath said screen in rows or any other suitable manner, and also beneath the deflecting and discharge plate G which" will be hereinafter more specifically described. The gas pipes are provided with slits e which are made in said pipe at intervals and in rows, the slits of one row overlapping those of the next row.

The screen D constituting the floor of the brooding chamber and as before stated, is composed of varying mesh wire, and these portions are separated from each other by transverse partitions D which extend between the side walls D dividing the brooder chamber into three compartments D D and D into which chicks of different ages are to be placed; thus the youngest and smallest chicks are placed in compartments D which has the smallest mesh floor; the next larger and older in compartment D and the largest and oldest chicks in D. The chamber is provided with the end walls D in each of which is an opening D guarded by a wire mesh door D hinged at its lower end so that it may open outwardly and downwardly. Above said doors D are thin imperforate shutters D hinged at their upper ends to end walls D and D and held normally away from the same at an angle by the coiled springs D these shutters are so hinged and are of such length that a stiff breeze against them will force them down and prevent the wind blowing through the reticulated doors D.

The transverse partitions D are made in two sections, the lower section D being hinged to the upper portions to swing and permit the chicks to go from one compartment to another; the upper portions of the partitions are also provided with openings D to receive the water supply tank D which supplies water to the water trough or gutter D which extends longitudinally through the center of the brood chamber and in each compartment,'the water being supplied to the trough by the tubes D and extending from tube to tube in the longitudinal center of each compartment is a vertical longitudinal plate D which extends down into the trough which will prevent'the chicks from getting into the water trough, for if they attempt to jump upon the edges of the trough, their heads come in contact with this longitudinal partition or plate D and they are forced back thereby. The tank D has an opening in. the top I)", controlled by a cap D and as the lower ends of the tubes D extend down into the trough D the trough will maintain a constant level of water as the water supply device is of the barometric ty e.

T o render the device self-feeding, provide along the sides of the brood chamber within the same the feed troughs H open at their top and rear, the rear abutting the long openings H in the lower end of the side walls D and communicating with these openings are the feed hoppers built on the outside of the walls, said hoppers comprising an inclined outer wall H the floor H and hinged cover H which overhangs the top openin of the feed hopper and prevents entrance 0 rain, etc. This top door permits of filling the feed hopper and as the hopper tapers inwardly and downwardly, the feed in the hopper will automatically flow into the trough in the brood chamber by the action of gravity, as long as any feed remains in the hopper.

Extending upwardly from the brood chamber, which is open at the top, at each end and at the corners thereof, are the masts or poles I which may be provided with a series of peg openings in which may be inserted pegs to support a roof structure J which is of the gable type, or the upper ends of the masts I may be connected by cross bars I having at their center a pulley block I on which is carried a cord I secured at one end to the ridge of the roof and having a counterweight 1* at its free end, by which the roof may be adjusted and maintained in adjusted position. Windows J 5 are also provided in the roof.

The roof structure comprises the ridge pole J and the side members secured to the said ridge pole, said sidcmembers being composed of three layers, a lowerilayer J 2 of wire and intermediate layer J 3 of cloth, and an upper or outer layer of wire this outer layer being made of wire for the purpose of preventing wind from tearing the cloth layer, as the meshes of the outer wire layer will break up the direct current of the wind and materially lessen its force.

. As hereinbefore stated, beneath the air chamber C which extends below the retlculated floor of the brooder chamber, a deflecting and discharging plate G is placed. ThlS plate which is of metal, is secured at its upper end to the inside of the air feeding chamber C as at G adjacent the upper ends of the uprights A and extends diagonally downward at about any desirable angle to the opposite side of the open frame formed by the said uprights A and their supporting runners.

As will be noted the pipes of the heatin system extend beneath t is inclined plate as well as through the air chamber C. Now it is a well known fact that the excrement from chickens contains considerable ammonia, and as it is dropped in a moist condition, a foul and polsonous vapor arises from the excrement while in a moist or wet condition. In m device the excrement as it falls on the inc ined plates, G, is immediately dried by the heat thereof and is deprived of the poisonous vapor or gas and rolls downwardly and is discharged into a receptacle placed appropriately for that purpose, to be used as a by product which is of well known value.

As the floor D of the brooding chamber is entirely unobstructed, being of wire mesh, air passes freely through it and all. around the chicks, and the air before entering is heated by the pipes D' to the proper temperature best adapted for rearing young chickens.

The reason for making sections or different areas of the floor of the brood chamber of wire screen of varying mesh isthat the size of the fecal discharges of chicks of different ages and sizes differ, and that a uniform meshmay not take care of all ages; thus the dischar e of youngest chicks is small enough to free y pass through the 3; inch mesh, but for the discharge of the slightly older and larger chicks, this is not true, as the discharge is larger and will not pass through the inch mesh, and hence a slightly larger mesh or 2, inch is necessary, and so on as the number of compartments and groups of chicks are handled.

It has been found that by using a perfectly free and unobstructed reticulated floor for the brooding chamber, that the wire mesh is self cleaning and hence the brooding chamber cannot become fouled by accumulations which are known to breed the diseases that take such a large toll of life in chicks, especially chicks that are hatched by mcubators and then placed in brooders.

-While usually the natural draft through the reticulated floor is sufficient to provide erfect circulation of air, I may sometimes End it desirable to employ a forced draft and for this purpose, employ the air pipe F running into the a1r.chamberC in any suitable manner and connected up with any suitable blower vacuum pump, or air forcing means.

The perforated gates D at each end of the brood chamber serve double purposes, to wit: they act as an air outlet and inlet and they may be swun down on bentwall C of the air chamtnar and form a preliminary runway to the usual inclined runway, the hinged lower sections of the. transverse partitions permitting the passage of the chicks through the various compartments. 4 v

By raising and lowering the roof member, the circulation of air through the device can be regulated and controlled according to the prevailing weather conditions when the dewoe is used outdoors. When the device is to be used indoors, the roof or superstructure may be removed entirely as there will be no need in such use to protect the upper open part of the brood chamber from the elements.

While I have shown gas burning devices employed as the heating medium, because natural or producer gas is more convenient in many localities, yet the apparatus will function just as effectively with any other heating systems, such as hot water, gas, electric, etc., and the structuralarrangements of the parts may be varied to suit various conditions, the main essential being that a perfectly free and unobstructed lower air inlet to the brooder chamber be provided and be of such a ch..racter as to prevent the fouling of such chamber.

AtM I have shown a lamp which is to be applied to the brood chamber, it. being importantthat some form of permanent illumination be used in rearing young chickens,

.as when under ordinary circumstances,

darkness comes on the natural tendency of young chickens is to huddle up and thus cause overcrowding and consequent injury.

With illuminating means active at all times within the brood chamber, this defect is wholly overcome. I may use any suitable illuminating means such as gas light, electric-lights, etc.

In the installation of the heating means for heating the air before its passage through the floor, it is important that the pipes or elements for disseminating the heat should be placed some distance apart, preferably near the sides of the brood chamber, so that there will be varying temperature from the center to the sides, the lower temperature being at the center and of course increasing to the sides. The object of this specific arrangement is to prevent overheating the chicks and providing means for seeking the most beneficially heated area.

I. claim: 1

1. A chicken brooder comprisinga chamber having side and end walls and open at its top and bottom, a reticulated wall covering t e entire bottom, an air chamber flaring outwardly and downwardly from said reticulated bottom, heating elements located within the flaring, and supporting means upon which said air chamber and easing are mounted.

2. A chicken brooder, comprising a casing having side and end walls and open at its top and bottom, an adjustable and removable covering therefor, a reticulated wall covering the entire opening at the bottom, an expanded air chamber projecting below said bottom wall, and air heating means carried within the flaring of said expanded chamber.

3. .A chicken brooder comprising a casing having side and end walls, and a reticulated bottom wall, an air chamber projecting below said reticulated bottom, means for heating the air in said chamber, and an inclined drying and discharging plate mounted within said air chamber, and means for heating said plate.

4. A chicken brooder comprising a casing having side and end walls, a series of transverse partitions between the side walls dividing the easing into chick chambers, an open top, and a reticulated bottom wall beneath said chambers, the reticulations varying in diameter in predetermined areas defined by said partitions and the side walls, whereby each area is limited to chicks of a certain size.

5. A chicken brooder comprising a casing having side and end walls, an open top,

transverse partitions composed of an upper section and a lower section hinged thereto and dividing said casin into compartments, a reticulate lower wal for each compartment, the reticulations in the bottom walls increasing successively in size from one end of the casing to the other end, the size of the reticulations in each compartment being different.

6. A chicken brooder comprising an open supporting frame, a downwardly and outwardly flared air chamber mounted thereon, heating means positioned within the flaring, said chamber having a reticulated upper wall, a brooding chamber supported on said air chamber, said reticulated upper wall constituting the floor ofthe brooding chamber, said brooding chamber including side and end walls and open atrthe top, said side walls having passages therethrough, the end top and bottom, a removable cover therefor, 10

a reticulated wall covering the entire opening at the bottom, a downwardly flared air chamber projecting below said bottom wall, and means adjacent the side and end walls of the casing for heating said air chamber, 15

whereby the greatest heat will be received at the sides and the ends of the casin HARRY J. WELfEH. 

